When I was a teenager, I believed Valentine’s Day was all about romance–and the fact that I didn’t have a sweetheart with whom to be romantic. I’d sit at home listening to (Rod Stewart’s version of) The First Cut is the Deepeston my parents’ console stereo in our living room, fantasizing about tall, dark, handsome strangers who’d present me with a dozen long-stemmed roses; or dashing, rakish strangers (who happened to own their own chartered jets) who would sweep me off my feet and fly me to Paris for brunch. In reality, I was spending the evening alone, feeling sorry for myself and, mostly, wondering why I didn’t have a boyfriend. My parents, of course, were out for the evening, with each other–since it was Valentine’s Day. Once I met my friend Sterlin in grade nine, she and I began to spend our Valentines Days together, watching old movies on TV and ruminating about why neither one of us had a boyfriend. One of our best February 14ths was the year they decided to broadcast that old Susan Hayward classic,I Want to Live, on TV. (You see, Oh Younger Readers, those were the days before the advent of PVRs–or even VCRs–in every home, and we were dependent upon the whims of the Great TV Programming Gods for our show selection.) We sat on the faux leather sofa in my parents’ basement hunched over a big bowl of Doritos, alternately munching and sobbing uncontrollably–especially when the laywer character (not realizing he is defending his own mother) remarks to the Susan Hayward character (who is going to face the gas chamber after being wrongfully accused of murder), “If I had a mother, I’d want her to be just like you. ” Oh, boo hoo hoo hoo!! (Crunch, crunch). Nowadays, although I have a sweetie with whom to share the Day of Hearts and Roses (and let’s not forget Chocolate), I still bemoan the lack of romance in my life on Valentine’s Day. The HH, you see, is many things (witty, kind, generous, incredibly artistically talented, a human trivia database, in love with our Girls), but “romantic” is not one of them. His idea of romance is reading aloud to me. . . from his “Polywell Fusion Reactor” article.

Normally, for special occasions like Christmas or my birthday, I’ve learned to let the HH know in advance what I might like so that, at the least, he’ll show up after work with something gift-wrapped under his arm. This year for Valentine’s Day, however, I decided not to put in my usual request for chocolates (not ACD-friendly) or champagne (ditto) or flowers (I’d probably be allergic to the ones he chose) and just accept that he expresses his love in other ways. A few weeks ago, for instance, when I was feeling a little under the weather, the HH marched out into the snow and -22C (-8 F) weather with The Girls every evening to spare me having to go. And when I slowly rotate my head from side to side in an attempt to release some of the stress in my neck, he’ll often magically appear behind my desk chair and provide a mini neck-and-shoulder massage, no prompting necessary. I hope I’ll be pleasantly surprised on Valentine’s Day, whether or not the HH’s contribution to the day is classically “romantic.” For my part, I’ve got a special celebration in mind, and it involves making Whoopee. (Pies, of course. Silly!). We’ll have chocolate, we’ll have cake, we’ll have sweetness and a light filling. And, of course, we’ll have each other. And that’s romantic enough for me.

[For this Halloween Version of the Whoopie Pies with “Pumpkin” Buttercream, see here.]

When I first developed this recipe, I put out a note on twitter asking folks about the texture of “authentic” whoopie pies, because I had never tasted one before. I was told they were halfway between cake and cookie, slightly denser than a cake but softer than a cookie–and that’s just how these turn out. Even if they don’t taste “authentic,” I don’t mind. They’re delicious in their own right.

Pies: 2/3 cup (160 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla soy, almond, rice or coconut milk (the type in a carton, not a can)

Make the pies: Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment or spray wtih nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, coconut sugar, stevia, vinegar, vanilla, oil, tahini and flax until smooth. Set aside while you measure the dry ingredients, or at least 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, sift together the teff flour, millet flour, potato starch, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined.

Using an ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup (80 ml) measuring cup, scoop out batter and place in mounds on cookie sheet. Wet your palms and flatten the mounds so that they are uniformly about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick all over.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, then rotate cookie sheets and bake another 5-7 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

Assemble the pies: Once cooled, cut each cookie in half horizontally (as if cutting a sandwich roll). Spread 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) of frosting (or more, to taste) on the cut side of the bottom of each cookie; replace the top of each cookie over the frosting. Enjoy! May be frozen, either as-is or after they’ve been filled with frosting. Defrost, well-wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator. Makes 6 large whoopee pies.

“Mum, we wouldn’t mind staying home watching a movie on Valentine’s Day if we could munch on those Doritos, too. . . or else maybe we could make our own canine form of whoopee by just playing outside. As in, ‘It’s snowing–Whoooopeeeee!'”

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What a lovely post, I hope you have a fab v day 🙂
These look incredible, I’ve neve tried whoopie pies, and thought I never would but these look so great that I must make them… Thanks for sharing, your recipes are so ingenious!

I’ve never, ever had whoopie pies (they aren’t a “thing” in Australia), but I know for a fact that I’ll love your nutty version far more than the super-sweet kind I saw in stores when I lived in America for a year!

Also, thank you for your Valentine’s story. I’ve always been single on it, but luckily the celebrations aren’t as in-you-face over here! At least I don’t have to deal with heart-shaped candy in the supermarket 😉

They’re actually not a “thing” in Canada, either, which is why I’d never had one before. But I think I’ll be having more from now on. 😉 And yes, those heart-shaped boxes in the stores can really get on one’s nerves!! 😉

Elsie looks so happyfaced in the snow! julie also loves the snow – she runs around in it all crazy and tries to eat a bunch of it. cracks me up! dan isn’t very romantical either, but he sounds like HH when it comes to being sweet in his own way & ever-so considerate at times. that’s too awesome he walked the girls in the snow when you weren’t feeling your best. awwwwwwww! the only whoopie pies i made where for a friend’s bridal shower and i made them with wheat flour so i didn’t get a taste – i didn’t want to use up all my pricy gf flours for people who might have not appreciated them as much as i would have. i cannot wait to try your whoopie pies, Ricki – not only do they sound superb, but they look gloriously good! decandent and oh-so yummmmmmy!

Happy Valentines Day, Ricki. I hope you enjoy it to the hilt. You know, I’ve never had a whoopie pie (do whoopie cushions count?) of any kind, and wouldn’t recognize an “authentic” one if it hit me in the head. I’m tempted to try this one though because it sounds so good, and I have all the ingredients except for millet flour and xanthan gum (which I know my next door neighbor has). We’ll see.

alas chocolate is easier to expect than any effort from E on valentines day – it’s so easy to dream about when you are single but the reality is not quite the same – never had whoopie pies but have always been curious about how they taste and I suspect I would love this version – maybe will try them if I get to try the buttercream frosting

Faye, in a cake like this, the coconut sugar actually serves to bind the cake somewhat as well, so I’m not sure how it would work without it. It’s also a substantial amount, so leaving it out will change the texture of the cake. That said, you could certainly try it (I’d start with only 1/2 a recipe, in case it doesn’t work out) and add a bit more tahini or almond butter if you’re okay with it to replace the binding power. But that’s just a guess on my part–I’ve never made them without the coconut sugar. Let me know how they turn out if you do give them a try!

Thanks, Hsiu-Li! Teff is the smallest grain. It’s a tiny brown grain and the flour from it is slightly brown with a subtle flavor that I think works beautifully with chocolate. You can order it through amazon.com if you’re able, and it’s in most health food stores. You can also buy teff grain and grind it in a coffee grinder or blender. I’ve added a link to the amazon teff in my recipe. Hope that helps! 🙂